World Humanitarian Day 2019
It can be said that it is an innately human quality to want to help others, to be compassionate and to alleviate the pain or suffering of those in need. Whether this compassion is manifested in small random acts of kindness or becomes apparent on a much larger scale, humans generally want to help others. […]
St Joseph’s Perthville: School, College, House
St Joseph’s Perthville: School, College, House. This book by Dr Marie Crowley is the long-awaited history of education carried out by the Sisters of Saint Joseph at Perthville. The book begins with an examination of the beginnings of the first small school established in 1872. It then traces the development of St Joseph’s College – […]
Saint Mary MacKillop Feast Day 2019
Greetings on the feast of Saint Mary MacKillop. As we celebrate Mary MacKillop’s feast day, let us celebrate how she was a woman who raised the powers of love in her time and continues to inspire us to do the same in our day. Love was at the heart of all that Mary did. She […]
Fr Julian: Man of Words – Letter Seven
Have you ever been into a large underground cave? This month Father Julian invites us to share his experience of exploring the caves of Mosquito Plains, near Naracoorte, South Australia in 1857. Of all the natural curiosities a country can possess, none tend so much to render it famous as the existence of large caves. […]
Sainthood Comes in Moments
This month of August, during which we celebrate the 110th anniversary of Saint Mary MacKillop’s death, is a timely reminder that all of us are called to be saints – here and now! Mary understood this – and her entire life reflected this understanding. In 1870, as an earnest 28 year-old, Mary shared her insights about […]
Pathways into Josephite Community and Commitment
National Vocations Awareness Week: 4-11 August 2019 Years ago, a young aboriginal boy, overhearing a conversation in our Josephite kitchen asked, “What’s a Chapter?” A sister replied, ‘It’s a kind of Nun’s Parliament!’ Though we chuckled, his question struck a chord and pushed us to a fuller, more reflective explanation: A Chapter is about deep […]
Avoiding Foolishness
Elaine Wainwright says that human centredness can distort our capacity to recognise that Earth’s resources belong to all life. The major feasts in our liturgical year are behind us and “ordinary time” stretches ahead until the celebration of the Universal or Cosmic Christ on 24 November. Each week we will read the Gospel of Luke […]
Approval of Josephite Federation 1967
Journey of the Josephite Federation. The approval of the Josephite Federation came in the form of a Decree of Establishment from the Sacred Congregation of Religious given in Rome on 28 July 1967, in response to the request made by the Congregations of the Sisters of Saint Joseph situated in Perthville, Diocese of Bathurst; Goulburn, […]
2019 NATSICC Elder Award
Modern Day ‘Samaritan’ Receives 2019 NATSICC Elder Award. On 14 July 2019 Ms Brenda Lester was presented with a 2019 National Aboriginal Torres Strait Islander Catholic Council Awards (NATSICC) Elder Award at St Mark’s Cathedral in Port Pirie. The Sisters of St Joseph of the Centre West Region nominated Brenda for this award after having […]
The Virtues of Saint Mary of The Cross, Mary MacKillop1842-1909
This book presents the Christian virtues of Mother Mary MacKillop, the Australian-born woman who has become Saint Mary of The Cross. It is not a biography, but rather a character portrait, tracing the outline of the virtues exemplified all through her life.
Written by Fr Paul Gardiner S.J., the Postulator of the cause of her canonisation.
Bobs The Dog
This story is told by Mary MacKillop’s pet dog, Bobs. He tells how he was able to make Mary’s life more enjoyable with the help of a Sister who befriended him. The author, Diane Phillips rsj, hopes that this story about a dog’s devotion to Mary will bring joy to all its readers.
Perthville Foundation Day 1872
Honouring the Perthville Story – Foundation Day, 16 July 1872. The most common name for a Catholic School in New South Wales (NSW) is St Joseph’s. Currently 77 (one in every eight), NSW Catholic schools bear the name of Joseph. The first St Joseph’s Catholic School in NSW was begun on 16 July 1872 in […]